Honors American Government
2/26/13There are many controversial topics in the United States of America. These topics are debated on whether they violate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights or not. One of the most controversial topics is capital punishment. Capital punishment is disputed on whether or not it violates the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. In the span of 32 years, 1997 to 2009, there have been 1,188 people executed (death procon). Numerous capital punishment cases are the execution of murderers; it can also be implemented for treason, espionage, and other crimes. The types of capital punishment include hanging, firing squad, electrocution, lethal gas and lethal injection. It is widely debated on whether or not these punishments are considered cruel and unusual. To this day capital punishment remains a controversial topic.

The death penalty roots back to the 1700s B.C to The Code of Hammurabi. In ancient Babylonia, the first known death penalty laws were written and called The Code of Hammurabi (Historical). This law was implemented for twenty-five crimes including; adultery and helping slaves escape, however murder was not one of them. In the fourteenth century B.C through Hittie Code the death penalty was applied. Draconian Code of Athens, which appeared in the Seventh Century B.C, declared all crimes to be punished with the same punishment, death. After two centuries, in the Fifth Century B.C, Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets was followed. These punishments included death by means such as, crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning Sreeram 2

alive and impalement. Afterwards, In the Tenth Century A.D, Britain used hanging as the death penalty. William the Conqueror, from the Eleventh Century A.D, forbid hangings for any crime, besides during war. However by the Sixteenth Century A.D the law fell through and Henry VIII executed about 72,000 people. For the next two centuries Britain continued to conduct executions for various crimes, by the Eighteenth Century A.D, 222 crimes were punished by death. Britain’s use of death penalty carried over to America when colonization began. The execution of Captain George Kendall was the first recorded use of capital punishment in the new colonies (History). By 1833, public executions were thought as cruel and there was a switch to private hangings. In the 1900s nine states prohibited capital punishment. In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled the use of death penalty on mentally retarded offenders is unconstitutional. Soon after, the execution of offenders under the age of 18 was also ruled unconstitutional. Currently there are only five methods of execution in the United States, hanging, firing squad, electrocution, lethal gas, and lethal injection. Over the years the death penalty has become more and more limited.

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is widely disputed and argued. Some say it is not cruel or unusual because with the advanced technology of today we are able to execute people painlessly. However in retaliation people say death is the ultimate punishment, the enormity and finality of it make it unusual. It is also said the death penalty instills fear among the people and prevents them from committing murders. On the other hand, opponents say crime rates indicate no difference among states that abolish capital punishment and ones that practice. Furthermore, the executed are people who deserve to be punished this severely. On the contrary, killing a person who has killed brings forth unnecessary violence. Moreover, killing the culprit Sreeram 3

does not bring the innocent back to life. Mistakes are made in court, but for a case of death penalty extra precautions are taken to prevent mistakes because of the severity of the punishments. In addition, since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated, there have been no credible mistakes in the executions. Nonetheless, since 1976, 87 people have been...

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...DeathPenalty and The Eighth Amendment
The expression "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" has taken on a whole new
meaning. Lately, murderers have been getting a punishment equal to their crime,
death. In 1967, executions in the United States were temporarily suspended to
give the federal appellate courts time to decide whether or not the deathpenalty was unconstitutional. Then, in 1972, the United States Supreme Court
ruled in the case of "Furman versus Georgia" that the deathpenalty violated
the Eight Amendments. According to the Eighth Amendment, "Excessive bail shall
not be required, no excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments
inflicted." After the Supreme Court made this ruling, states reviewed their
deathpenalty laws. In 1976, in the case of "Gregg versus Georgia" the Supreme
Court ruled state deathpenalty laws were not unconstitutional. Presently in
the United States the deathpenalty can only be used as punishment for
intentional killing. Still, the deathpenalty violates the Eighth Amendment and
should be outlawed in the United States.
Currently in the United States there are five methods used for executing
criminals: the electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection, hanging, and
firing squad, each of them equally cruel...

...
Pros and Cons of the DeathPenalty
The deathpenalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime. The deathpenalties are usually carried out for retribution of a heinous murder committed, such as aggravated murder, felony killing or contract killing. Every state handles what method they want to use to put a person to death according to their state laws. The deathpenalty is given by lethal injection, electrocution; gas chamber firing squad and hanging are some of the ways that certain states may carry out their deathpenalty procedures. I will present some views and personal opinion dealing with the pros and cons of the deathpenalty. The deathpenalty is such a life altering subject that affects all parties’ lives that are involved in the deathpenalty process. I personally have mixed feeling about the deathpenalty. I don’t know really if I would be a person that would support the deathpenalty or not. I do feel that murdering someone is wrong, and since no one really close to me has never been murdered. I don’t know if my feeling would change as being a supporter for the deathpenalty or not. I can...

...OUTLINE
THESIS: Is the deathpenalty right or wrong? Advocates for the deathpenalty and abolitionist against the deathpenalty have debated this issue since the inception of capital punishment. Advocates supporting foundation for the deathpenalty is that it is deterrence because it prevents future murders; and that in the deathpenalty serves as retribution because in a just society, if someone takes a life then they should give their life. Abolitionist is against the deathpenalty because they feel it is immoral, applied unfairly and serves to sanction revenge instead of retribution.
I. The DeathPenalty Does Not Deter Murder
A. The deathpenalty is immoral
B. Application of the deathpenalty is fairly applied
II. The DeathPenalty Does Deter Murder
A. Capital punishment is morally justified
III. Many Countries Have Abolished the DeathPenalty
II. Conclusion
The DeathPenalty Does Not Deter Murder
The deathpenalty is not a successful tool for deterring murder because people commit murder for different reasons and they do not think about the deathpenalty before...

...DeathPenalty
October 23, 2013
The deathpenalty has been the highest form of criminal punishment in the American judicial system since the 13 colonies (ideas.com). It has taken the form of hanging, stoning, drowning, burning, beheading, gasing, electrocution, and injection. The taking of a man's life as pennance for criminal behavior is wrong. The moral injustice of murder, the cruelty of execution, and the death of innocent men are all concerns that make the deathpenalty wrong. The government should abolish the deathpenalty in order to observe morality, end cruelty, and protect innocent men.
The deathpenalty is a controversial topic in the United States today and has been for a number of years. The deathpenalty was overturned and then reinstated in the United States during the 1970's due to questions concerning its fairness. The deathpenalty began to be reinstated slowly, but the rate of executions has increased during the 1990's.(ontheissues.com) There are a number of arguments for and against the deathpenalty. Many deathpenalty supporters feel that the deathpenalty reduces crime because it deters people from committing murder if they know that they will receive the...

...﻿John Vera
English 101H
Professor Kaufman
23 October 2014
Is the DeathPenalty Actually Effective?
Of the many crimes one could commit, murder, felony manslaughter, espionage, genocide, and treason are a few of the crimes that can lead to one paying with the ultimate price, their own life. Lethal injection, gas chamber, firing squad, electrocution, and hanging are the methods of death afforded for those who commit such heinous acts. However, does knowing the possible consequences of capital offenses deter individuals from committing the crimes? Did it make you stop and think? In the United States the deathpenalty is used as a punishment for capital offenses. These specifically can vary from state to state, but commonly include first-degree murder, murder with special circumstances, rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason. (Facts) The goal of the deathpenalty then, is to deter these crimes from even taking place, to be so feared that offenders think twice about committing such horrible crimes. But does it? In the following paper, the above question will attempt to be answered by looking at the background of capital punishment and the deathpenalty, the ideas behind it, viable alternatives, and finally, the effectiveness of the deathpenalty at deterring crime.
Early death...

...﻿ One of the most common, and controversial arguments in today’s society is the use of the deathpenalty as punishment. Capital punishment is considered paying the ultimate consequence for your actions. Some argue it is inhumane and too harsh of an action to take, while others applaud the justice system for implementing it for certain criminals. I strongly believe in the latter. Today, it is all too common to give out second chances, often to the undeserving. Murder is an unforgivable act, therefore, the deathpenalty should be administered to all those who commit heinous crimes.
Capital punishment, more commonly referred to as the deathpenalty, “is the legally authorized killing of someone as a punishment for a crime.” (dictionary.reference.com) Supporters of capital punishment believe that life is sacred, but make a point that it is not only disrespectful, but would be a wrong doing to an innocent murder victim, to allow the murderer even the slightest chance of killing again. The deathpenalty is viewed by supporters as a necessary action in order to protect the innocent.
When arguing against capital punishment, a common point is that it is an inhuman act, and that there is never any justification for cruel and unusual punishment, under any circumstance, when involving a human life. (Amnesty International) But, imagine you lost someone dear to you through a...

...Crime
The deathpenalty is a form of punishment used for convicted criminals who have committed a capital crime. Initially, the first established deathpenalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the city-state of Babylon. The deathpenalty was used for about 25 different crimes stated in the Hammaurabi Code. By the Tenth Century A.D. Britain adopted this method as a usual punishment for many crimes. Eventually, when the colonies in the Americas were starting to be created, the British brought over many cultural practices including the deathpenalty. The first recorded execution that took place in the colonies was in 1608, to Captain George Kendall who was a convicted spy for Spain. Yet in the 1960’s all of the sudden the deathpenalty was to be considered “cruel and unusual” punishment, but if it was, then why has it been used for so many centuries? When in reality, the deathpenalty should be used and enforced by every country and state for capital crimes, because it is a physiological deterrent and it is justifiable for the crimes committed.
To begin, the deathpenalty is considered a physiological deterrent. A physiological deterrent is something that prevents actions through fear of punishment. Considering the previous statement, statistics show that...

...The DeathPenalty
Everyone has their own opinion about the deathpenalty; some are for it while others are against it. The deathpenalty is a big issue that people are always debating about. Some people think that it is cruel and usual punishment while others say it’s an eye for an eye. Another argument about it will be on how much it costs and how the cost is affecting our economy or some believe thedeathpenalty is based on racism. There are a lot more that can be argued about on behalf of the deathpenalty, but I’m just going to talk about a few of them.
A lot of people believe that deathpenalty should be done away because of the fact that it is going against the Ten Commandments “thou shalt not murder”. Even though the person that is on the deathpenalty murdered another person doesn’t mean we should take their life. The eye for an eye saying is really crazy because why would you want to take another person life away? A lot of innocent people also have died due to the deathpenalty. For example, this guy was driving by and saw two males fighting and one got shot. So the guy got out of his car and tried helping the guy but when the police got there he was dead. Now the guy that was just trying to help is on trial for the shooting...